Plans for new jail move ahead

On Tuesday, the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors voted to spend $350,000 to purchase 26 acres for the site of a new county jail. The vote followed nearly an hour-long discussion during which the board expressed strong reservations about the county's ability to finance its share of the massive project.

On Tuesday, the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors voted to spend $350,000 to purchase 26 acres for the site of a new county jail. The vote followed nearly an hour-long discussion during which the board expressed strong reservations about the county's ability to finance its share of the massive project.

The money to purchase the property will come from the county's accumulated capital outlay fund, designated for matters of county-owned property.

County Administrator Tom Odom told the board the property is undeveloped and "will require some significant site development" before jail construction can begin. He said that development is expected to cost $1-1.2 million.

Last fall the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office (SCSO) was awarded a $24.16 million grant by the state corrections board to fund the majority of construction for a new jail. However, the county will be required to contribute $1.2 million in matching funds, Odom said.

SCSO Sgt. Goyeneche presented information to the board regarding the suitability of the property and the necessity of a new jail. He told the board the grant funds can be used for site development but the county must pay up-front and wait for reimbursement from the state at a later date.

Several supervisors expressed a long list of concerns about how the county will find the money to fund its contribution.

Supervisor Grace Bennett asked Goyeneche, "How secure are you in your thinking that $24 million will be sufficient to build what we need?"

Goyeneche responded, based on "talking to a number of consultants," he believed "that should be plenty."

Supervisors Michael Kobseff and Marcia Armstrong both said they were very concerned that the state may not reimburse the property cost in a timely manner.

"My only concern is that the state doesn't have the money," Kobseff said. "If there's an opportunity for the state to take away a mechanism of reimbursement, they will."

Kobseff said he believes that a 10 percent over-run on cost is a standard expectation on projects like this. He asked County Auditor Jennie Ebejer where she thought the expected $2.4 million over-run would come from in the county budget.

"I couldn't find it," Ebejer said, adding that the state would not cover a cost over-run. "I don't know of any other resources or reserves within the county to pull money from," she said.

Armstrong said without better projections on costs and reimbursement timelines, "This is really putting the entire county on the line. There's no more money and we have declining revenues from our property taxes. I don't know where this money is coming from. But we do need a new jail because the state keeps shoveling prisoners down our throat."

Supervisor Ed Valenzuela asked Goyeneche if the SCSO has a design for the building.

Goyeneche explained that there was an initial plan when the grant was originally written but the SCSO has since realized that the original site would not work. He said a building design and cost estimates cannot be completed until a new site is selected.

Page 2 of 2 - Valenzuela told Goyeneche, "I'm scared to death that it's going to over-run." He asked if the jail could be built in phases as more money becomes available.

Goyeneche said the grant requires an initial capacity of at least 150 beds but the SCSO's long-term plan is to increase the capacity to around 300 beds. He said expansions could be put off to future years.

Supervisor Brandon Criss pointed out that there would also be a societal cost associated with not building a new jail.

"That's our biggest concern," Goyeneche replied. "I understand the money thing, don't get me wrong. I would not want to be in your seats right now." He said, from his perspective, "If we don't get some more capacity, it's only going to get worse as to who we have to release on the street."

Goyeneche added that the SCSO's needs assessment predicted that the county jail will need nearly 300 beds by 2020.

Supervisor Bennett made the motion to purchase the land and Kobseff offered a second. The vote passed unanimously.